What is your method for Comping takes, and Flex Time?

I'd like to hear something of the different workflows that people use to make a Comp from multiple takes (in my case drums), then using Flex Time on the finished comp. I'm doing this for the first time.

 

My situation... I've got 12 Takes of drums over 7 drum tracks. I've created a comp, and now I want to do some flex time work on that comp. However, my understanding from other reading posts is that I cannot do that without first merging and flattening the comps. Is this correct? I don't want to lose the original recordings of the 12 Takes, so how would you suggest I go about doing that? Thanks.

my understanding from other reading posts is that I cannot do that without first merging and flattening the comps. Is this correct?

 

If you treat your drums as a group from the instant you start working with them then merging and flattening should not be necessary. But that means that you always have them all R-enabled together, you're always recording on all R-enabled tracks as a group, etc. Then you can Flex edit inside one of the take folders and the other take folders in the group will also be edited accordingly.

 

The instant you do something different on one (or some) track(s) in the group, all bets are off. In that case you may find that you need to flatten, merge, and even re-cut the merged regions at their beginning and end so they all start and stop exactly at the same positions.

As far as grouping, pretty much what David said. One of the comp options I've been using more often now, instead of flatten, is export active come to new track. I just recently finished an EP for someone, and about midway through, I decided that I wanted to change some vocal edits. It was a major hassle for me, because I used Flatten and could not track down the original vocal takes easily. Export and hiding the old tracks has been very useful for me. After that, I will flex.

As far as grouping, pretty much what David said. One of the comp options I've been using more often now, instead of flatten, is export active come to new track. I just recently finished an EP for someone, and about midway through, I decided that I wanted to change some vocal edits. It was a major hassle for me, because I used Flatten and could not track down the original vocal takes easily. Export and hiding the old tracks has been very useful for me. After that, I will flex.

 

Ah, this is much more appealing to me than what I just did yesterday, which was to "Save as..." to a new file and then flatten everything. Thanks for that. I will do use this method.

 

Do you Join the regions after you export the active Comp?

The instant you do something different on one (or some) track(s) in the group, all bets are off. In that case you may find that you need to flatten, merge, and even re-cut the merged regions at their beginning and end so they all start and stop exactly at the same positions.

 

I'm not sure if I'm just really good at finding bugs or that I did something wrong, but earlier this week (and once before) I was using Flex Time with the Group turned ON (I swear), and I was reviewing my work and heard that the other tracks were not lined up, as if they had not moved. If I can ever get that to happen again, I will make note of it and try to recreate it. However, it is one more reason for me to stay away from doing Flex Time edits without first flattening the comp. Thanks.

earlier this week (and once before) I was using Flex Time with the Group turned ON (I swear), and I was reviewing my work and heard that the other tracks were not lined up, as if they had not moved. If I can ever get that to happen again, I will make note of it and try to recreate it.

Were both "Editing (Selection)" and "Phase-Locked Audio" selected? They both need to be selected in the Group settings if you want to keep everything perfectly in sync when Flex editing.

I usually use join after I have flexed rhythm and pitch. That way, I still have the originals on the comp track, but I have two new raw flexed usable audio tracks to work with. On those tracks, most of the editing and everything is taking care of so it's like you're starting with a fresh but Perfect track.

earlier this week (and once before) I was using Flex Time with the Group turned ON (I swear), and I was reviewing my work and heard that the other tracks were not lined up, as if they had not moved. If I can ever get that to happen again, I will make note of it and try to recreate it.

Were both "Editing (Selection)" and "Phase-Locked Audio" selected? They both need to be selected in the Group settings if you want to keep everything perfectly in sync when Flex editing.

 

Yes, they were. That was the first thing that I looked at after the Group settings. I've had other glitches too where adding a flex time marker causes the Editor to just go blank. I have to restart Logic to get it to work properly.

And now I've got the same problem as I've just mentioned in my last post. If I Flex Time one Track extremely out of time, it is clear that the other tracks are not following along. I must be doing something wrong? A screen shot...

 

To help, your screenshot should show us the result you're hearing: for example a screenshot of your tracks in Flex view with one Flex marker on one track not ending up at the same position as the other Flex markers on the other tracks?

 

Another thing: All your drum tracks are Q-references? Are you sure that's how you want to edit them? Typically only one or two tracks, maybe three in some cases, are Q-references.

To help, your screenshot should show us the result you're hearing: for example a screenshot of your tracks in Flex view with one Flex marker on one track not ending up at the same position as the other Flex markers on the other tracks?

 

Another thing: All your drum tracks are Q-references? Are you sure that's how you want to edit them? Typically only one or two tracks, maybe three in some cases, are Q-references.

 

The screenshot was meant to show what buttons were active etc. I've since learned how to view Flex Time in the Arrange window so that I can see what is going on in the other tracks at the same time.

 

The Q-reference buttons were all automatically activated when I created the Group, so I thought that they all needed to be on. I wasn't able to find an explanation of q-reference in either Logic Help or your book (Kindle edition search for "q-reference" - I've not yet read it cover-to-cover). I've since just watched a youtube video that explains it well. (

) However, now I am noticing significant phasing issues when I make even a minor change. When I Quantize all the drums they sound terrible. I'm guessing that it is because the OHs are so far out of phase with the snare mics and I need to JUST use the snare and kick to Quantize. I'm learning lots here though. Thanks.

The drums sound much better when I Q-Reference just the snare and kick and then Quantize. They sound more in time, but I always feel like they are lacking something that was there when I just left them as is. I guess I'm at the point where I decide whether or not I want to quantize all the drums, or just go in and use my ears to fix things that are off a bit here and there. I originally was using the OHs to adjust the Flex Time markers, but I now see why that was a mistake given that the OHs are the furtherest from the snare and thus receiving the sound last. It's pretty cool to be able to see the phase alignment of the various tracks, and also to see that my OHs were pretty much spot on to each other. It's a good way to learn.